that, if you remember in the discussions about the fiscal cliff when tim geithner delivers to the republicans the initial offer they don't come back with a counteroffer that says if you want those revenues we want entitlement cuts. they then say to the administration "we want you to propose entitlement cuts so we can turn around and say look you proposed entitlement cuts." so i don't know which it is. i know that in the long run all the economists are going to agree what the root of the challenge. is it's the aging of the the population, rising health care costs and we don't have the tax revenue to cover that. it's not based on excessive spending on food stamps. it's not based on discretionary spending. that is not what the problem is. >> rose: david? >> i think it's significant if republicans have decided they want this next round to be about entitlements rather than spending. because there is no solution in discretionary spending. >> rose: exactly. >> there's not enough money there. >> rose: everything knows that, don't they? i'm surprised everybody doesn't accept that id
